“Dean Christie cut off their dominant hand, all four of them,” I said with satisfaction.
“How?”
“With her table saw,” I said, “she’s a big fan of DIY projects and keeps a lot of power tools around. Everyone’s scared to death of her.”
Now I see the beginnings of a smile, but it fades quickly. “You need to tell thePakhanabout this.”
“I know,” I sigh, “it didn’t hit me until Lucca pointed out the repercussions of possible revenge or any statement Roman would want to make. But not today, all right? I already talked with him and Ilia and they look so tired. I’ll tell them tomorrow.”
Lev knelt in front of me. “Do you swear it? If you don’t, I will be forced to.”
Taking his hands in mine, I nodded. “I swear it. Look, let’s go for a walk with Lucca and enjoy the Christmas Market, all right? We can all use an afternoon free of complications and imminent death.”
His pursed lips tell me he’s displeased with my attempt at light-hearted distraction, but he nods. “Very well. Let’s go collect your friend.”
My soul is writhing in guilt for not telling him what Lucca really means to me, but that is a complicated discussion that I’ll save for another day.
For a tiny village, Kilronan puts on one hell of a festival. The three of us wander through the booths, sipping mulled wine and listening to the slightly off-key but loudly enthusiastic band playing Christmas favorites. There’s a beautiful little light village and I pause, pulling on Lucca’s hand to make him stop. The children are getting chased through the light displays by clearly exhausted elves.
He bursts into laughter when two of the kids tackle an elf, and I look up at his gorgeous face, made incandescent with laughter. Kon was visibly shocked the first time he heard Lucca laugh when we were teasing each other. He told me he’d never heard Lucca laugh before, not just a polite chuckle, but a real, honest-to-god laugh. The thought makes me terribly sad, and it makes each time he lets loose with me even more precious.
Hugging Lev when it’s time to head back to the college, I try not to cry. “It’s so hard to say goodbye,” I whisper. “I know you’re ten minutes away, but it feels like lightyears when I’m not allowed to see you.”
“You can see my ugly face all you like by Facetiming me on your illegal iPhone,” he says dryly. “You’re still keeping up your safeguards so the signal can’t be tracked?”
“Yes,” I said, rolling my eyes. Giving him one more hug, I whisper, “Thank you for saving my sanity all those years ago. Thank you for keeping me safe.”
If I didn’t know that my bodyguard was a ruthlessly stoic Russian, I might think those were tears in his dark brown eyes. “Go on with you,” he says, clearing his throat. To my surprise, he offers his hand to Lucca, who slowly takes it with a smile. “Look after our girl,” he said. I know how much that had to cost him to ask.
“With my life,” Lucca promises. Lev looks between us and I know he’s quite aware already about what Lucca means to me.
“How are you doing,piccolo bacio?”Lucca says, kissing the side of my head as we head back through the gates of the Ares Academy.
“I’m good,” I promise, smiling up at him. “Thanks to you, this has been the best day I can remember since…” I pause, trying to remember being this happy before. “Thank you.”
“Anything for you,” he says, kissing my lips this time.
Chapter Twenty-Four
In which everything turns to complete crap. Because life is like that at the Ares Academy.
Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For?
Tatiana…
MyBabushka,my grandmother,embodied the worst of the Aslanov sour, superstitious roots. If the sun was shining outside, she would dourly predict a deadly blizzard, which would usually descend upon us by that evening.
I should have taken her lessons to heart. Maybe what happened next wouldn’t have hurt so much.
Early January…
“Miss Aslanova, Dean Christie requests that you join her in her office.” I look up from the test I’m trying to finish on surveillance technology to the guard standing by the lecture hall’s door. Professor Campbell rises from her desk, exchanging a look with the guard before nodding to me.
“Go ahead, you can finish the test later this afternoon,” she said.
My heart’s in my throat, following the guard to the main building. A request for a visit to Dean Christie’s office is not ever considered a good thing. Aleksandr is also waiting in her antechamber, looking as alarmed as I feel.
“Did you and Lucca do something illegal and they are mistaking me for him?” he hissed quietly.
